Who is Josh Heuston? Inside the rise of 'Off Campus' breakout star Justin Kohl

Josh Heuston has been one of the most searched names online since 'Off Campus' dropped on May 13, 2026. The 29-year-old Australian actor plays Justin Kohl, the magnetic musician at the centre of the show's addictive love triangle, and fans have wasted no time in wanting to know everything about him. As it turns out, the story behind how he got here is just as interesting as anything happening on screen.

According to the South China Morning Post, Heuston is an Australian actor of Anglo-Sri Lankan descent who grew up in the Baulkham Hills area of Western Sydney with his mum and two younger sisters, Charlie and Ashley. He was working as a waiter when he was first scouted, and it was only after collaborating on a music video with friends that something clicked. He then went on to train at some of Australia's most well-regarded acting institutes.

Before all of that, though, he had tried a very different path. WHO magazine reports he had studied biomolecular science and commerce at university before walking away. "A bad one, because I didn't finish the degree," he said. "I mean, I gave it a go and did a bit of university, but I figured out it wasn't really for me, so I left."

Despite only committing to acting around 2020, Heuston has quietly built a resume that most actors would envy. He is known to many as Dusty Reid from 'Heartbreak High', and has also appeared in 'Dune: Prophecy' and Marvel's 2022 film 'Thor: Love and Thunder' alongside Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman.

The transition between 'Off Campus' and 'Dune: Prophecy' was so back-to-back that it gave him whiplash. "I had to fly straight from Canada, where we shot 'Off Campus', to Budapest, where we shot 'Dune: Prophecy', so one day I was on a university set and the next in the Dune fantasy world," the outlet reports him saying. And on the 'Dune' front, he is not done yet. Collider reports he teased that season two of 'Dune: Prophecy' is "just bigger and better," with everything on a much grander scale.

In the show, Justin fronts the band After Hours and is the long-time crush that motivates Hannah to fake date Garrett, only for real feelings to develop between them. What is interesting is that the character was changed significantly from the source material. In Elle Kennedy's original books, Justin is a football player, not a musician. The show reimagined him completely, and Heuston had to pick up guitar and piano to make it convincing.

He was also very deliberate about how he wanted to play the role. Deadline reports he said, "I guess he's a little emo and angsty in a lot of ways, but I just wanted to give him a heart in it, where it's not the typical bad boy on campus sort of thing. I wanted people to feel for him and empathize with the fact that he's just trying to follow his heart." Even the music he performed on screen had real thought behind it. He built a playlist for his character scene by scene, pulling from artists like Future, Kings of Leon, and Royel Otis, some of which actually made it into the final cut of the show.

Art Threat reports that showrunner Louisa Levy confirmed in May 2026 that Justin Kohl will not return for season two of 'Off Campus', though she teased the possibility of bringing him back in a future season when his book love interest Stella is eventually introduced. It was a shock to fans who had barely had time to fall for the character. But with 'Dune: Prophecy' season two on the way and his profile growing fast, Josh Heuston is clearly not short of things to keep him busy.

All eight episodes of 'Off Campus' season one are available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video. The show has already been renewed for a second season, with production expected to begin later this year. A release date for season two has not yet been announced.